The Minister for Health has announced the free dental program for school children will be rolled out to seven new locations in the New Year as part of the Government’s Smile Squad program.
The Minister, Jenny Mikakos named the first of the local government areas where schools are set to receive visits from the vans in term one.
“The new locations are Towong, Latrobe, Brimbank, Hepburn, Buloke, Mansfield and Greater Bendigo,” Ms Mikakos said.
“They will join schools in Box Hill, Cranbourne, Barwon South and Wodonga who have already been visited as part of the free dental program,” she said.
Ms Mikakos said the fleet was expected to visit more than 150 schools and provide treatment to more than 50,000 students in 2020.
“Oral disease is one of the most common and expensive diseases to treat, but it’s also the most preventable,” she said.
“The Smile Squad vans will provide free check-ups and treatment including teeth cleaning, fluoride application, fillings, root canals and any other non-cosmetic treatments to make sure our kids have healthy teeth.”
Ms Mikakos said that dental conditions were the highest single cause of preventable hospitalisation for kids under 10 in Victoria.
She said all Victorian public primary and secondary school students would receive their own free dental packs as part of the Smile Squad program.
